Slow Night, So Long
by magnessina
Summary: Zelena takes Rumple for a walk around Storybrooke, and they happen to bump into an innocent pawnshop co-owner. This time the Wicked Witch will either finally have Rumple kill his True Love, or she will lose everything. Set after 3x18 Bleeding Through.


**This is actually my entry for Rumbelle Showdown 2014, round 2, wherein the prompts were as follows: revenge is his, painful memories, strut. **

**I think this is one of my favourite things I've written so far, so hopefully it won't disappoint you!**

* * *

Zelena turns around when Rumple heavies another sigh.

"Will you stop? I'm having a moment."

"I don't understand how walking pompously around Storybrooke can be considered as having a moment. Why are we doing this? Why am _I _doing this?"

"Because," she smirks at him, "I don't want people to forget about me. They need to realise that the Dark One and I are going to win this war. And thus, submit to me."

"Are you going to confront Regina?"

"Oh, no, why should I? I've got her heart already. Let them have some time together before I take it all away from them. Besides, I enjoy theatricality too much not to let them know I'm going to destroy them beforehand. A surprise attack would be boring."

"Then why on earth are we here?"

"I told you already. We're going to evoke some fear in the citizens of this stupid town. And I want to bask in my glory."

It's almost twilight, and people seem to have hidden themselves in the safety of their homes. There's nobody there.

When they turn at the corner, he notices his shop. It's probably closed now that he's gone; Rumple feels a pang of sorrow. He grew to truly love his little pawn shop and now finds himself missing it dearly.

He and Zelena have almost passed that building when the front door suddenly swings open and he notices a petite unsuspecting brunette, who turns her back to them and locks it behind her. She takes his breath away, as per usual. He still loves her so much, no matter how long they are forced to be apart, but now when his plans backfire time and again, he's beginning to lose what is left of his hope that they will get to be together again.

Rumplestiltskin is surprised to see her here, though. She must have decided to take care of his shop, he thinks, his dear, sweet Belle.

She hasn't noticed them yet.

Zelena, however, sure noticed_ her. _

Rumplestiltskin feels panic creeping into his heart.

_Please, God, please don't make me hurt her. _

When Belle turns around a gasp escapes her. She doesn't even look at Zelena; she's entirely focused on Rumple, as if she was trying to memorise every single detail about him.

For the record, he does the same.

"Oh, lovebirds," Zelena quips. "You must've missed each other terribly. Perhaps you'd like to… I don't know, embrace?"

She knows it's a trick.

He knows Zelena's planning to play with them.

She knows she should run.

He knows he should try to protect her.

But they have missed each other _so goddamn much_.

She inches nearer him. Step by step.

He forgets they're being watched for a moment and just _feels_.

When Belle's so close to him he could touch her, he shakes his head asking her to stop. She does.

And they just look at each other.

"So intense," Zelena murmurs. "You must miss him terribly, sweetie. His presence, his touch. Surely, since, oh dear, the man knows how to kiss."

Rumple groans, closing his eyes. Belle pricks her ears up.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you creep?" she wheels around and yells at Zelena. "What are you making him do?"

"Oh, I'm not making him do anything. That's all Rumplestiltskin," she chuckles.

"I don't understand…" Belle mutters.

"I had to," he says quietly. "I thought I could–"

"That's okay," she doesn't let him finish. "I trust you."

"That's so romantic!" Zelena exclaims. Then she reaches for the dagger, and Belle's heart skips a beat. This is not going to be good. "Now, Dark One, I command thee to kill her."

Violent waves of excruciating pain hit him and every cell, every fibre of his being wants to murder Belle right this moment, just to make it stop.

To stop the pain.

But he fights it.

As strong as the desire to comply is, he vehemently fights back.

Belle is paralysed with fear. She wants to run for her life – not because she's afraid of dying, per se, but because she knows it would absolutely destroy Rumple if he killed her. On the other hand, she can't bring herself to move.

Then she realises that she _literally _cannot move.

Zelena, like Pan before, seems to have frozen her to the spot.

The Witch smirks at her, muttering, "Not making the same mistake twice, dear."

"Rumple," Belle whispers, ignoring Zelena's words. She sighs with relief – this time, at least, she can still speak.

He falls down to his knees and tries to force himself to think of something else, to quiet down the voices commanding him to kill his True Love.

Memories flood his mind: he thinks of the first time he saw her, in her father's castle. How beautiful she looked in that golden gown. He recalls those countless evenings they spent together in the Dark Castle – when he would spin and she would read, or they would drink tea together, or play games. He remembers how it felt when she first hugged him.

He then recalls how _devastating _it was to hear that she flung herself off the tower. How he would spend his evenings all alone in the castle, holding the chipped cup and weeping quietly. How he would imagine her desecrated body, and how his heart _broke_ because he didn't even know where her grave was.

"No," he cries out.

It hurt way more than the pain he's going through now.

Then she came to him. To his shop. They were given a second chance. He had her back in her life and she was beautiful, strong and utterly perfect, and she was the only thing keeping him alive and sane, now that his son was gone.

He recalls her kisses. Her caresses. Her touches.

The way she really, _truly _cared for him.

How she loved _his son._

How she always fought for them, and how she has never, not once, stopped believing in them.

He opens his eyes and looks up to Belle, who's still rooted to the spot.

She's smiling softly at him, tears rolling down her rosy cheeks.

"I love you so much, Rumple," she tells Rumple, her eyes shining with sincerity. "You are the strongest man I know. And I am so, so proud of you, and so honoured to be your love. No matter what happens next, sweetheart, I'll never stop loving you."

"Okay, that's enough," Zelena hollers. "That's very touching, but I'm getting bored. Dark One, I command thee to kill her!"

The voices grow louder but he, again, manages to quiet them down.

He's panting and his nails dig painfully into the ground, and Rumple knows he must now look like a man possessed, but…

There's no _fucking _way he'll ever hurt Belle.

She is _not _going to die.

Howling like a wounded animal he gathers all of his strength and silences the voices. In the same moment, the dagger is forcefully yanked from Zelena's grasp and finds its way back to its rightful owner.

It's quiet. His mind is completely calm and quiet. And he's holding his dagger in his hand.

True Love is the most powerful magic, after all.

"How? I don't understand? What did you do?" Zelena yells at him. She's practically wheezing with fury.

They haven't got much time.

Rumplestilskin's got troubles standing up; he feels almost as if he has lost considerable amount of blood, with blank spots dancing in front of his vision.

He turns to the Witch, and snarls at her, "See? You shouldn't have done that. Apparently, the only thing that has more power over me than my dagger, is the love I feel for this woman."

He rushes to Belle's side and with a little push of his magic, sets her free from the Witch's confinement. "I am going to take my sweet time killing you, Zelena. You're going to regret ever having crossed paths with me. You have no idea what fate you've brought upon yourself."

He pulls Belle into his arms, and she clings to him for dear life. She's sobbing into his chest, mumbling sweet nonsense and he can't remember the last time he felt so… relieved. They disappear in a purple cloud of magic, leaving Zelena standing there on the verge of hysterics.


End file.
